


The Final Masquerade

by Seven_Oomen



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Allison Argent is a Hale, Alpha Peter Hale, Alpha Sheriff Stilinski, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Murder, Canonical Child Abuse, Chris Argent joins the Satomi pack, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Fluff and Humor, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jackson Whittemore is a Hale, Jackson Whittemore is an Argent, M/M, Malia Tate is a Hale, Mpreg, Multi, Mutual Pining, NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo 2020, Omega Chris Argent, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Past Chris Argent/Peter Hale, Polyamory, Pre-Canon, Pre-Hale Fire (Teen Wolf), Romance, The Sheriff's name is Noah, Werewolf Chris Argent, Werewolf Courting, Werewolf Culture, attempted murder of a child, starts dark but turns into a romcom fairly quickly, takes place in the late 90s, werewolf shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:28:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27375709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seven_Oomen/pseuds/Seven_Oomen
Summary: Chris is turned after surviving his father’s murder attempt. Now, having to deal with newfound problems, a set of twins, and wolf shenanigans he also has to navigate the tricky field of ex-wives and ex-lovers. Finding love along the way while trying to stay hidden from his father. This is his journey, this is his final masquerade.
Relationships: Allison Argent & Chris Argent, Chris Argent & Jackson Whittemore, Chris Argent & Satomi Ito, Chris Argent/Peter Hale, Chris Argent/Peter Hale/Sheriff Stilinski, Peter Hale & Sheriff Stilinski
Comments: 13
Kudos: 51





	1. Broken and remade

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter is incredibly dark. It features attempted murder and the attempted murder of two young children. This is also the darkest that it gets. From that point on the story gets a whole lot lighter and ends in tooth rutting fluff. There will be some dark themes like child abuse explored, but it's all from what the adult characters experienced in the past. None of the child abuse is current. It's a story about healing trauma and refinding love in multiple ways.

Breathing out your last few wheezing breaths is terrifying. As the cold seeps in and the whistling of your lungs drowns out every other sound, you start to realize just what you’re about to lose. You realize what you could’ve done with your life.

Death isn’t just the next adventure. It’s a terrifying concept that humanity can’t seem to deal with. He certainly couldn’t at the time.

As footsteps approached, just as blood boiled up from his lungs and onto his lips, he managed to say a single sentence. “Please. My kids…”

Whoever it was stopped beside him, red eyes staring at him intently. A sharp pain in his wrist was the last thing he felt before he succumbed to the darkness in his mind.

-

_“We shouldn’t be here, Peter.” He looked around, fidgeting with his hands as he bounced on the balls of his feet. He knew that at any moment they could be spotted. What if his family saw them? His father would kill him._

_“Relax, nobody’s here Christopher.” Peter merely shrugged, grinning like he’d just won the jackpot as his gaze roamed over Chris’s form. “It’s just you and me and the darkness of Woodland pond.”_

_He really wasn’t so sure about that but as Peter’s arms wrapped around him and the Alpha’s scent settled his nerves he found that he didn’t really mind the proximity either. There was something intimate about being here with Peter, in the dark of the night. “Yeah?”_

_Peter’s breath ghosted over his cheeks. The sensation of it sent shivers down his spine. “Yeah.”_

_The distance between them closed. He wasn’t sure whether it was him or Peter, but their lips met and everything around them melted away._

_-_

_“I always knew you were going to dishonor this family. But to fuck one of them?” His father’s voice thundered through the house._

_Honestly, he earned this one. He convinced himself as the sharp, crisp sound of his father’s palm connecting with his cheek resonated through the house. He earned this. He brought this on himself. All he could do was endure and pray that his father wouldn’t take it out on the innocent life he was now carrying._

_“Pregnant? By a fucking werewolf??!” His father’s spit hit his cheek. He flinched. “Did you forget what they did to your mother, boy? Did you forget what they took from you? And then you turned around and fucked one?! And a HALE at that?”_

_He wasn’t sure what he could say in defense. Wasn’t sure any of it would matter in the long run. Saying he loved Peter, for he was sure that that was what this was between them, wouldn’t make it better or justified in his father’s eyes. So he merely nodded._

_“I am father.” He shivered in fear as his father grabbed him by his hair, teeth bared, and a feral look in his eyes as he studied Chris._

_“You are no son of mine.” Gerard spat at him, letting him go with a shove._

_They left Beacon Hills the next day. No explanation. No goodbyes. He gave birth to twins seven months later._

-

The forest around them was silent. To some, that wouldn’t be a particularly strange thing but he knew better than that. A completely silent forest didn’t bode well for them. Their enemy had far better hearing, sight, and a sense of smell than they had. And the silence wouldn’t make it any easier for them.

Leaves rustled beneath their feet as they walked, an occasional twig snapped as someone stepped on it. And the foreboding sense that they were being followed gnawed at him continuously. The hunt had been a bad idea from the moment it had started and he knew it. And yet he continued.

He walked down a path to where a small stream trickled down from the hills and into the woodland valley below. From there he could survey the area better and get his bearings. Complete silence surrounded him. He couldn’t even hear the rest of his companions anymore. Had they gone off? Had the beast gotten to them?

None of it was certain.

He felt the wind shift, felt it running through his hair, and caress the side of his face. It’s whistling distracting him for a moment. A sharp pain hit his side. His breath left him for a moment as he brought his hands up and pressed them against the spot. He jerked back as he felt a fluid on his fingers. Staring in shock as they drew back coated in blood. 

The force of the jerk brought him off balance, his feet swept out from underneath him and he landed with his head down in the stream, hitting it on a jagged rock as he tumbled down into the valley below.

Up, down, left, or right, he couldn’t distinguish anymore as he hit multiple rocks and surfaces on his way down. He heard the cracking of his ribs, the pain that shot through his body numbed halfway through his tumble. It was then that he realized that his breath was wheezing, liquid pooled in his chest. His legs were unmovable, sharp pains screaming through them.

His vision swam and just as darkness overtook him a pair of red eyes met his gaze.

-

The first thing he noticed as he regained consciousness was the smell. Warm, like freshly baked bread with cinnamon. He noticed the softness of the sheets beneath him and on him, the warmth he was cocooned in. Wherever he was he certainly didn’t seem to be in the forest anymore.

So the question remained… where was he?

He sat up slowly, groaning as his muscles protested against the movement. His eyes straining against the light that assaulted them. His head throbbed as footsteps thundered up the stairs and stopped just outside the door.

For he was in a room. That much he could make out as his eyes slowly adjusted to the light. It was a small room, with only a bed, a nightstand with a tacky old lamp on it, and a wooden desk with a wooden chair in the corner. Nothing much to write home about, really. 

A knock on the door had him grab his ears in pain, for the sound resonated and pounded through him. It opened a minute later and an elderly Asian woman approached him. 

She had an air of calm about her, something warm and kind. There was also an underlying sense of danger. Like at any moment she could strike and end his life once and for all. And yet… he trusted her. She seemed to be on his side as far as he could tell.

"Good morning," her voice was stern but warmth still managed to shine through.

"Morning," he rumbled, trying to will away the throbbing pain still going through him. His eyes darted to the door and he quickly tried to work out if he could make that should things turn violent. "Where am I?"

The woman smiled briefly, staring straight into his eyes as if she was searching his very soul for something. "You are in the safety of our home, Mr. Argent." 

He froze at those words. Alarm bells practically blaring through his mind as he stared at her in shock. The fact that she knew his name… it didn't mean much good.

He struggled for a moment as he tried to get a good read on her. But she stayed incredibly calm and didn't let anything slip. "How?" 

"Everybody knows who you are. Your family has hunted us for centuries." There was a hardness in her eyes that made his blood run cold.

And yet…

"Then why help me? Why didn't you just leave me out in the woods?" He shifted in his seat, groaning at the aching in his side and the stiffness of his body. Whatever had happened had messed him up quite a bit for him to be so sore. He noticed there wasn't anyone else near the door. If he could get up and away in an explosive movement, he might have a chance at escaping. 

"You were near death…" she sighed, "You mentioned your children. It didn't seem right to leave them without a parent."

The blood drained from his face at those words, eyes darting quickly to the door before he stood up. The sudden movement enough to make his protesting muscles cramp tight. He fell to the floor with a soft dud and a pained groan. “Ah, shit.”

He struggled to get back up but found a gentle hand on his shoulder stopping him. “Easy now, you are still healing. Your children are here, safely within these walls, we’ve been keeping an eye on them.”

He stared at her in disbelief, mouth agape as he tried to process what she just said.

He couldn’t believe it. What the hell did that even mean. He looked down at his hands and turned them in front of his face to get a better look at his fingers. They didn’t look different at first glance, but the elderly woman must have taken pity on him, for she bent down and pressed down on a spot on his wrist. Claws extracted from his fingers, dark brown and thick.

The scream that escaped his lips resonated through the building and bounced off its walls.

“I’ve become the very thing I’ve hunted.” His voice was but a whisper.

“You’ve become the thing you once loved.” 

He looked up at her, his breath trembling as he registered her words. Maybe he had once loved one of them, but they were torn apart and he- God all the things he’d done to their kind…

He let out a broken sob. “I can’t go back…”

Her voice turned hard and cold. “I wouldn’t recommend it either way. You have been given another chance at the life you once craved. Do not waste it.”

He couldn’t comprehend any of it, simply staring ahead at his own hands as he the reality of his situation settled in. He couldn’t return home. He couldn’t go back to the way things used to be. Then again, did he really want to?

There was no love between him or Victoria, their marriage had been arranged to keep up appearances. And although they’d grown together in friendship, they never established a romantic connection. Not like him and-

He shook his head, biting his own lips until he tasted blood while tears stained his cheeks. He had to get a grip on himself. And although his body shook and his breath was interrupted by his sobs he turned to her. Had he heard her correctly earlier? “My kids are here too?”

“Hmm,” She hummed in acknowledgment, “Wasn’t easy getting them here, two of my pack got badly injured. We retrieved them late last night,” She paused, looking at him with an incredible amount of compassion and kindness that it almost hurt, “They went through a lot too.”

Footsteps in the hallway alerted him to another presence, though the elderly woman didn’t seem worried. If anything she smiled at him and gently helped him back on the bed where he could sit down. “I know this is a lot, Christopher. But you and your children are welcome here amongst the pack if you wish to stay. Have some rest, hug them, cherish them. And when you’re ready, follow your nose and find me.”

The door opened and two little whirlwinds immediately jumped onto him and held on tight. He breathed in their scent and held them close for several minutes. Leaning back a little he smiled at the two little faces before him, brushing back his daughter’s dark curls and ruffling his son’s blond hair. “You’re okay, thank god you’re okay.”

“It’s cause they saved us, daddy, they came in time!” Allison said, cuddling up on his right. 

“Yeah, it was scary…” Jackson added, cuddling into his left side. 

He had to process their words for a moment, frowning at the both of them as a sinking feeling dropped into his stomach. “Saved you from whom?”

“Grandpa…” Jackson whispered, hiding further into his side.

“And the bad men… they - they had the - the pews,” Allison added.

“The pew pews.”

He looked down at both of his three-year-olds, feeling his stomach drop even further. “They had guns?” 

Fucking hell. What the hell was his father thinking…

He knew his father never particularly cared for either of his grandchildren, had called them werewolf spawn in the past. But he never could have imagined-

Oh god…

“Yeah-”

-

_It was scary at night. It always was. Especially when he wasn’t allowed to sleep in Alli’s bed with her. Papa said they were getting too big now. He did not agree with that. He wasn’t that big. He was actually a little bit smaller than his sister. So really, he should be allowed to sleep in Alli’s bed every night. Just to keep the monsters away._

_Alli was good at that. Keeping them away. She was also very good at getting momma to chase them away if she couldn’t. He preferred to get papa and just cuddle. But papa wasn’t here tonight. And neither was momma. He didn’t know where they were or why they weren’t home._

_And that was scary enough._

_The sounds coming from outside their room were even scarier. Because those weren’t the sounds momma or papa usually made. It sounded different. It didn’t sound right._

_He whimpered softly and drew his blanket over his head to hide, peeking out from underneath it just to make sure nothing was coming in._

_He heard Alli stir in the other bed, heard her calling out to him as she woke. “Jax?”_

_A pause followed._

_“Why are you hiding?” She sounded like she was not sure of what he was doing._

_“We’re not alone, Alli. It’s not papa or momma.”_

_His sister went quiet at his words, getting scared when another sound came from outside the door. She too hid under her blanket, keeping a little hole free for her to peek at him._

_He could hear their shaky breaths as something came in. Step by step it crawled closer. He shut his eyes for a moment, shivering in fear as it walked towards the wall. He opened his eyes quickly as everything went quiet and tried to look from under the blanket._

_The light switched on and he was temporarily blinded by the flood of light before his eyes got used to it._

_There in the corner of their room stood grandpa. A few strange men behind him holding some of papa’s pew pews. Those were not safe._

_“Grandpa?” Alli took off her blanket and sat up, staring at grandpa curiously. He followed suit, not wanting to be left behind with whatever grandpa was doing here._

_“Hello sweetpea. I’m here to bring you to your daddy.” Grandpa smiled at them, though it didn’t seem right to him. It wasn’t really any different from normal, except it was. It was scarier somehow. Though if he told Alli that, she’d laugh at him. Alli wasn’t scared of most things. So naturally, he wasn’t either. Except he really was._

_“Why? It’s late. And papa’s not home.”_

_“Momma’s not home either.” He added, Alli nodded at his words._

_“Yeah.”_

_“That’s why we’re going to them. Just us.” Grandpa gently grabbed him by the arm and helped him out of bed, turning to Alli to help her out too._

_He didn’t like this. There was a bad feeling in his tummy and the other men scared him. But grandpa had never hurt them before, as scary as he could be. He was just old._

_Grandpa led them down the stairs, they put on their shoes and their jackets and grandpa brought them to his car where he strapped them into their car seats._

_“You’ll see your daddy soon.”_

_He shared a look with his sister, still not feeling too sure about the whole thing. There wasn’t really anything he could, though. They were strapped in and grandpa was taking them somewhere else. In the dark. Without papa or momma._

_Alli didn’t seem too sure either. She broke the silence after a few moments. “Grandpa, where are we going?”_

_“To see your daddy, sweetpea.” Grandpa’s voice sounded strained and strangely calm. As if he was angry but also not angry._

_“I don’t think we’re going to see papa, Alli…” He whispered, hoping grandpa wouldn’t hear it._

_Of course, grandpa did hear him._

_“Of course you are sport. You’ll see him soon.”_

_Grandpa drove on in silence and the feeling that something was wrong got stronger in his tummy. It felt really bad. Like he had an accident and momma and papa hadn’t found out just yet. He didn’t like it one bit._

_They stopped in a very dark place, he could hear water running somewhere and there were trees and leaves all around them as grandpa led them away from the car and towards an open space near the water._

_“You two stay right here, daddy’s gonna be with you any minute.”_

_He really didn’t like this. Everything was scary and the trees were really big and everything was dark. He just wanted to go home now. He wanted to be back in bed with his papa tucking him in._

_“Grandpa, I wanna go home.” He turned around, eyes going wide as he didn’t see anyone back in the darkness. Grandpa was gone. There was nobody around them. Not even the scary men that had come with grandpa. Everything was silent except for the running water._

_“Oh no…” A few tears ran down his cheek and he gently tucked on Alli’s sleeve as the sobs started in his chest._

_“Jax, I’m scared-” Alli cried out, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Where’s grandpa?”_

_“I dunno…”_

_Two loud sounds went off nearby and two blurry forms jumped in front of them. He smelled metal and cried out as someone grabbed onto him and pushed him away. The stranger's eyes were yellow and fangs came out of their mouth._

_“Run!” One of them yelled._

_He grabbed Alli’s hand and started running as fast as his legs could carry him. Alli right on his heels as they ran through the darkness. Two dark forms caught up to them and scooped them up and although they protested loudly, they were taken away to another place._

-

“And that’s how we got here.” Alli finished her story.

Dear god how did this-? His father had tried to- 

He felt bile rise in his throat as he pulled his two children to his chest and simply breathed in their scent for a few moments.

“I’m so happy you’re both okay.” He couldn’t hold back his sobs, he couldn’t hold back the utter devastation he felt at what his twins had just told him.

His own father-

Had his own fall even been an accident?

No, no no no…

Sobs wracked him as he clutched the two protesting three-year-olds to his chest and littered their faces with wet, sloppy kisses as he cradled them. 

He could’ve lost them and never even knew it. They would have all been dead if it hadn’t been for the very creatures that he once despised and hunted. And yet, yet these same creatures had given him everything. In more ways than one. 

He slowly eased his grip on Allison and Jackson and pressed one more kiss to both of their foreheads, smiling down at them.

“Are you okay, Papa?” Jax asked.

“No, not really. But I’m happy that you and your sister are safely here.”

“Me too,” Alli said, cuddling closer to him. Jax nodded along, putting his thumb in his mouth as he rested his little head against his chest.

They stayed like that for a while, just holding on to one another and breathing in their combined scents. Until Jax’s stomach, or maybe it was his own, started rumbling.

“I think you both need breakfast.” Alli giggled.

The elderly lady had told him to come find her after they were done and calmed down a bit. “Come on, let’s find some.” 

He guided both toddlers out the door, letting his newfound sense of smell guide them around the maze of rooms. The walls around them were all made of red brick with old green metal lanterns on the walls to provide them with enough light to see. Old windows in green window frames let in natural light too. And as he looked outside one of the windows he could see train tracks leading away from the building. They were in an old train station, the first floor must be old offices that were converted into sleeping rooms.

The smell of freshly baked bread hit his senses once more, laced with cinnamon, as well as the smell of a flowery tea. He followed it to a large dining area in what seemed to be the old arrival hall. The hall itself was filled with wooden tables and benches and an industrial-looking kitchen had been build adjacent to it.

There were a few people currently baking. “So that’s what I’m smelling,” He muttered. 

The elderly lady who visited him before had heard him. “Yes, it is. You must be hungry,” She smiled kindly at the two toddlers at his side and gestured for the food to be set down in front of them, “Please.”

His twins, in a surprisingly polite display, smiled in return and calmly took their seat. “Thank you, miss Ito.”

“You are very welcome, little ones.” 

He heard that name before but hadn’t put two and two together that the famed Alpha Satomi Ito was an elderly Asian lady. Who just so happened to have found and saved him from certain death. Yet it made sense. From what he gathered, Satomi was a kind and peaceful Alpha who was renowned amongst her kind to help those in their greatest need. Of course, she’d be the one to rescue the son of her enemy and nurse him back to health. Even if that meant turning him.

He sat down beside Allison, a newfound respect and humility in his gaze as he looked upon the elderly lady. She was having none of it though, for she scoffed and gently swatted him on the shoulder. “None of that now, I did what I had to. You are with your little ones and that is enough. Stop looking at me like that.”

A chuckle escaped him and he nodded in understanding. “I’m sorry, it’s just, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“And I heard much about you, young man. And yet, here we are and we must find a way to move forward.”

Wasn’t that the truth? He chuckled darkly and looked down at his scarred hands, at least some things hadn’t changed. He still carried visible scars from before even if he wouldn’t gain any new ones. 

Forward was the only way to go. He couldn’t go back. He had nowhere else to go and two small children to take care of. 

“Is there any chance I could take you up on your offer?” He wasn’t sure if she’d let him, even if she’d offered it freely before. The mind is tricky in that way, especially if it has been messed with before.

“Of course,” She seemed unsure at first, then realized why he was acting this way and smiled at him, he could tell by her eyes. “You are more than welcome to stay for as long as you want.”

“And the little ones will fit right in with Brett and Lorilee. I’m sure they’ll be delighted to have some playmates.” One of the wolves from the kitchen spoke up.

“I’m sure they will.” Satomi laughed, letting them eat their meal in peace for a moment or two. 

Once they were done he gathered up the plates and brought them over to the dishwasher, loading them into it. Satomi kept a close eye on him as he moved, probably to make sure he wasn’t going to pull anything. Not that he intended to.

“Come with me, bring the little ones.” 

He frowned but followed. Taking both Jackson’s and Allison’s hands in his own as she led them through the station and outside into a little courtyard they had build behind the station. 

“I like to walk here with new additions, it may not be big but it spreads scent and lets the others know you are here.”

That made sense, werewolves relied heavily on their sense of smell. Honestly, it was overwhelming. There had to be at least ten different scents around, the four of them not included.

“There are twenty of us,” Satomi gave him a knowing look, “Three pups, seventeen adults. With you and your children, that number will be twenty-three. We are the largest pack in California, sharing our territory of Beacon Hills with the Hales on the other side of town.”

She looked down at the twins briefly as she spoke. “I’ll leave it up to you if you want to join them at any point.”

He wasn’t sure what to say, clearly she’d known about his relationship with Peter. She’d mentioned it vaguely when he woke up. But he wasn’t sure if they would ever rekindle it. Wasn’t sure he wanted to. A lot of things had changed. “I just- I want some peace. A safe place for my children to grow,” He paused, “Without the threat of my father…”

She gently laid a hand on his shoulder in reply. “You have it within these gates.”

She eventually led them back inside after their walk, leading them to a large open indoor area where a nine-year-old girl, a three-year-old boy, and a baby of maybe one were playing together on a large playing mat in the corner of the room. There was a tv with some couches, a reading area with ceiling-high bookshelves and comfortable looking chairs, a pool table, and even a bar on one side.

Several pack members looked up as they entered, including the one that had spoken to them before. Her friendly smile was contagious. Showing kindness also clearly helped with breaking the ice, as one of the pack members approached and extended his hand towards him in greeting.

“It’s Marc, nice to meet you.” The wolf in question was a man of about 6’2 in height with shaggy brown hair and a sparse beard that was far more impressive than his own empty cheeks. He seemed to be the quiet type but kind enough. 

He let go of Alli’s hand for a second to shake Marc’s and nodded in greeting. “Chris, nice to meet you too.”

“We’re just about to watch some shows, relax a little while watching the kids. Wanna join in?”

He looked at Satomi who merely shrugged at him, though her smile seemed to suggest she was pleased with this recent development. And having Allison and Jackson occupied and playing nearby probably wasn’t a bad idea either. They were in the same room and he could see them.

“Sure, would love to,” He bent down between the twins and pointed to the other kids, “You guys wanna go and play?” 

Alli seemed to think on it for a second or two before nodding enthusiastically. Out of the two, she was the bravest and most outgoing child. Jackson preferred to stay near him and cuddle, watching people from afar where he could assess the situation and determine his best approach.

“I wanna stay with you.”

He picked Jackson up in answer and let go of Alli’s hand. She immediately ran over to the other children and after a short introduction started playing along. 

In the meantime he made his way over to the rest of the pack, where he sat down on one of the couches, Jackson in his lap and Marc next to him. This whole day was one messed up roller-coaster of emotions, feelings, and new sensations. But at least, for the time being, he was safe to explore them.


	2. Let there be peace, Anu be blessed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ceremony and a few revelations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a couple of days to write this as the chapter is almost 7K long. Didn't expect that. But I do like how this turned out and I hope you do too.
> 
> This is mostly just character interactions and dynamics some revelations near the end of the chapter too.

Being a single father of a rambunctious two-year-old wasn’t easy. Trying to raise a werecoyote in a family of werewolves was even harder. Though truth be told, he liked the challenge of it. He liked that Malia always kept him on his toes and got into all sorts of trouble. He liked the way she teased Stiles Stilinski and Cora on their play dates and the way she had his whole family wrapped around her little fingers.

His father adored Malia, even if she’d entered their lives on less than ideal circumstances. Honestly, he hadn’t exactly planned to be abandoned by the love of his life and then end up in an explosive sexual relationship with a homicidal werecoyote but you know, things happened. A child was born on Halloween. No big deal.

Even if Talia absolutely wanted to kill him for it, dad hadn’t let her. He had another grandchild and clearly noticed that all Peter needed was someone to care for after the whole debacle with Chris.

He still didn’t understand why the hunter had just left like that, they would have protected him. Noah had already made an escape plan for Chris, ready to implement it at a moment's notice. All Chris had to do was ask. He never did.

Just disappeared into the night. Never to be seen again.

Sure, he’d heard of a group of hunters doing their thing, hunting supernatural creatures. He also knew Chris was one of those people, judging by the descriptions that came back from those massacres. But something just didn’t seem right about the whole thing.

He sighed softly as screams came from the living room and slowly made his way over to find Laura screaming at Derek, Malia, and Cora. The nine-year-old was always bossing her siblings and cousin around, it got on his nerves most of the time. He took a deep breath and stepped up, ready to step in between the two oldest siblings to prevent a mini-war from breaking out.

“Okay, stop it.” He snapped as he pulled his niece and nephew apart before either of them could strike first, “Derek, go sit down. Laura, what’s going on?”

“They’re drawing on the walls, uncle Peter! There’s paint everywhere and mom’s going to be mad at me!” 

He followed her line of sight and groaned at the sight of Cora and Malia covered in blood-red paint, handprints all over Talia’s creme walls. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”

“They’re just being kids, it’s not their fault!” Derek interjected, honestly bless that kid. Only seven but already ready to stand up for those that couldn’t. He’d be a good man someday. He only hoped the boy would survive that long, the good ones rarely did.

“Mom’s gonna kill us, Derek!” 

Dear Anu, why was he always the one left with the kids? He was not cut out for this kind of shit. He growled low in his throat, took a deep breath, and gently started to pick up Malia and Cora from the floor. He turned to Laura and Derek. “You two are going to clean up the paint, I’ll wash these two and the wall. And we just won’t speak about it. Ever. Our secret.”

Laura and Derek shared a look, quickly nodding in agreement at the suggestion of sweeping everything under the rug. What Talia didn’t know, couldn’t hurt them, after all.

He bathed the two toddlers, dressed them in clean clothes, and carried them back downstairs where Derek and Laura had tried their best attempt at cleaning. Not that it had helped much.

It took him another hour to get everything cleaned, and even then there was a slight pink stain on the wall from where the paint had been. Maybe if he covered it up with dad’s old grandfather clock Talia wouldn’t notice it. Then again, she might notice he moved it in the first place. Eh, he could always feign innocence later. He shrugged and got to work on moving the massive thing.

By the time Dad got back from his business and Merlia got back from work, you couldn’t even tell there had been a paint accident. The kids were spotless, the clock covered the wall and they were all pleasantly spending time in the living room. The kids were drawing, on paper this time, and he was working on his pre-law economics bachelor's degree.

Nothing weird going on at all.

His father didn’t agree with that. “Why is the clock in the living room? It’s supposed to be in the hallway.” 

He shrugged, although his father’s gaze did make the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He ignored it to the best of his ability and tried to focus on his homework. “Is it?”

If looks could kill, he’d be dead and although he felt his stomach drop, he didn’t show it. He just smiled politely and cocked his head to the left. “I swear it’s always been there.”

“Really?…” His father crossed his arms across his chest, blue eyes glaring holes into his very soul. His demeanor changed on a dime, changing from stern father to overly loving grandfather as he approached the kids. “How are my perfect little angels doing today?”

Shit. Malia or Cora would spill the beans in a heartbeat.

“We’re drawing, grandpa!” Malia said.

“I see that. What a good job you two are doing. And on paper too?” 

Oh, he did not like the way that conversation was going. Or the way his father smirked at him. The bastard.

“And on the wall. But daddy cleaned up.”

Fuck.

Merlia’s laughter echoed through the house, practically mocking him. “Sucks to be you, Petey!”

He hated his sister in that moment. Little bitch.

“Did he now?” 

“Yeah but I’m not supposed to tell or aunt Talia will find out.” 

As much as he loved his father and his daughter, he wanted to kill both of them in that moment. “Thank you, Malia.”

He would have stayed mad but Malia’s face lit up like the sun itself and her smile melted all of his annoyances and anger. 

“You’re welcome, daddy!” She clearly didn’t understand sarcasm.

Derek and Laura weren’t so amused with their cousin, judging by the glares they were sending her way. Which he understood, in a way.

How could one not love a face like that? Smiling brightly, showing off her full set of pearly whites. The last ones had come in last month, thankfully. Because a teething baby, let alone a baby werecoyote, was no joking matter.

“So that’s why that clock is there.” Dad ruffled Malia’s hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead, smiling down warmly at the group of kids. He hated the smugness in his father’s eyes as he looked at him.

“Does it matter, dad?”

“Guess it doesn’t. I do find it amusing that the pre-law student came up with the idea to cover a stain with an object. You could have just grabbed the extra paint from the attic.” 

He hadn’t even thought about that…

His father and Merlia certainly found it amusing. He would continue to hear their ‘lovingly’ mocking laughter for days to come.

“It’s okay son, it’s stressful to take care of young children and study for college.” Dad hugged him tight and smiled into his hair. “We’ll fix it before your sister gets home.”

-

_His pack had always been close to another. From the moment he was born he knew he was loved and cherished among them. It made no difference to his parents that Nathaniel was human or that Talia and Merlia were faster and stronger than him. They knew that he had his own set of skills and his own personality. He was the smartest among the children, the most cunning and the most creative. He was also the troublemaker of the family. Which is probably why they weren’t surprised when he first brought Christopher home with him._

_“Are you sure we can just walk in in the middle of the night? What’s your dad even going to say?” Chris whispered as they carefully made their way through the pitch-black house. It was past midnight, they’d been out by the lake all night and everyone else had already gone to bed. Which meant it was the ideal time to sneak in his secret boyfriend. Or well, that had been his plan anyway._

_Even the best laid out plans didn’t always work out._

_“That the two of you should have called that you’d be late.” The light switched at his dad’s voice. He was waiting at the top of the stairs, arms folding as he watched both of them._

_Chris seemed to be frozen in place halfway up the stairs, kinda gaping and looking quite unsure of who to get them out of this situation._

_He took pity on the hunter. “Well-, we could’ve. But then we’d have to wake you and we didn’t want to do that.”_

_His father seemed thoughtful for a moment, humming softly and resting a finger to his lips. “So you decided that the better idea was to sneak back into my house with someone I don’t know just so everyone would stay asleep. And you don’t see my problem with that?”_

_To the untrained ear, it might have sounded like dad wasn’t too happy with them. To his ears, well, he picked up the slight tremor in dad’s voice, the way his lip curled up just a little, and the way his eyes squinted in amusement. His father was trying very hard not to laugh his ass off at his antics._

_Chris, however, didn’t pick up on these things. The hunter’s voice trembled and his breathing sounded a bit labored._

_“Sir, we’re very sorry. It will never happen again. I meant absolutely no offense.”_

_Dad slowly walked up to Chris, hesitating when the hunter flinched and made himself a bit smaller, but eventually, he closed the distance between them._

_“Son, I am both very impressed and very, very amused at both of your antics.” Dad chuckled, gently squeezing Chris’s shoulder. “Never do it again, keep your hands where I can see them and go catch some sleep. Okay?”_

_Dad winked at them both and sent them up to his room._

_He pulled Chris into his bed after getting rid of their shirts and jeans and snuggled up behind the Omega, spooning him. “You just received the official stamp of approval.”_

_“Oh good…” Chris cuddled back into him, “Let’s never do that again.”_

_Needless to say… It became a habit to sneak back in the dark of night._

-  
 _“So let me get this straight-” Noah Stilinski was one of the seniors that he’d known since they were kids. Along with Claudia Gajos and Melissa Delgado. One year wasn’t that much of an age difference growing up but it seemed to be making all the difference in high school. Personally, he thought that was rather stupid but there wasn’t really much he could do about any of it._

_“I’m not.”_

_“I knew that. Not my point, Peter.” Noah sighed._

_He grinned at the druid, leaning forward just a little so he could get in his space. And although Noah didn’t lean back, he did shoot him a rather unimpressed look._

_“How come we never dated?”_

_The question caught Noah off guard, for the druid merely stared at him._

_“Wow…”_

_Alright, now he actually seemed annoyed and that had not been his intention. “What?”_

_“Do you have any capabilities to even stay remotely on track? Or am I trying to herd a comet back into space when it’s trying to crash into the earth?”_

_He honestly wasn’t too sure how to answer that. “Depends?”_

_“On?”_

_“What your answer is going to be?” Either that would work or his friend would wack him on the head. Either way, he’d get a reaction from him._

_“Dear Anu help me.” Noah pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, “I have a girlfriend, you are a junior, and we’re both Alphas.”_

_He honestly didn’t get the problem and that must have shown._

_“Peter…”_

_“So?” He shrugged, “We’re both bi, it’s just one year difference, and Claudia is very open-minded. I mean isn’t she dating Melissa too?”_

_If looks could kill, he’d be toast._

_“That’s not the point, and you were telling me about this new kid? A hunter?”_

_Noah clearly tried to get him back on track, and he would get back on track eventually but for now, it was far too entertaining to watch Noah squirm a little. “So why won’t you date me?”_

_Noah slowly closed his eyes and mentally counted to ten, releasing a slow breath. “Because your ass is way too annoying and without someone constantly buffering I would have roasted it ten thousand times over. Happy?”_

_He wasn’t sure what to answer to that, but it was a fair statement. He knew he could be a handful. “Not really… that’s actually a little hurtful.”_

_“Peter…” Noah actually seemed a little remorseful but he wasn’t done yet._

_“You know I really thought we had this great connection. Yes, we’re both Alphas but I don’t mind bottoming.”_

_“Peter!” That earned him a hiss._

_“And I’m not that annoying, I mean devilishly handsome and sassy, sure, but not annoying-”_

_He didn’t get to finish his sentence. Noah had placed a rather forceful finger to his lips and his eyes glowed a dangerous purple. And damn him but that really made things a lot more complicated in his already hyped-up state. He had to shift certain things around a bit to make sitting a bit more comfortable. The only upside to the whole thing was that Noah clearly had to do a little bit of adjusting himself. Interesting…_

_“You were telling me about some hunter in your class?”_

_Ah yes. Christopher._

-

“Remind me why we are answering a call from Satomi?” 

They hadn’t heard from the other Alpha in a few months, the last time she called it had been about a new addition to her pack. Apparently, she was ready to introduce them now or something. Honestly, he hadn’t been paying much attention to pack politics lately. Noah had already berated him for it during last week's poker night.

“Because her latest pack member is ready to be introduced to the community.” Talia sighed, “You and I both know it’s an important ceremony. And Noah will be there as Satomi’s emissary, so you’ll have company to complain to.”

As comforting as that thought was, it wasn’t going to help. 

“He’s not going to let me…” He muttered under his breath, though judging by Talia’s smile, she heard him anyway.

“At least one of you will be sensible then.” 

God he really hated his sister sometimes. As much as he loved his family they could be a real pain in his ass. “To quote Malia’s favorite movie; it won’t be my idea of fun. Let’s keep it at that.”

At that, Talia laughed and ruffled his hair, much to his dismay. “It’s honestly adorable how much you let her watch the Swan Princess.”

He just did that because it kept her busy and it gave him some time to do his homework in peace but he’d take the compliment any day. “I’m just a fantastic dad.”

“You are.” Talia’s smile was soft as she laid a hand on his cheek. It gave him some hope that maybe he was doing something right here. But he also didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing just how much that meant to him.

“Whatever. Let’s just go to this stupid ceremony.” He sounded annoyed, though he could tell that Talia knew what he felt. Must be the pack bond shining through it all. 

“I’m sure it’ll be as horrible as you imagined it and you can complain to me all about it when we get back.” She laughed. Somehow that didn’t make him feel better.

-

Being a druid and a deputy meant he couldn’t always be around the pack. Sometimes a few months went by without him checking in. It really depended on whether or not they needed him. The last few months had been quiet, barely any calls from Satomi aside from that one in the middle of the night two months prior. He hadn’t been able to come in due to an important case but Satomi had assured him she had a handle on things.

And now the Alpha was ready to introduce a new member to the community. The ceremony itself was usually a quite boring one but everyone liked to get together for the party that followed it. It was a great way to establish pack alliances and meet someone special.

He straightened the dark red henley shirt he was wearing and walked up to the door, letting himself in with the master key Satomi had given him when he first started. It had been one quiet year so far. Little did he know, everything was about to change.

He made his way to the common room, where the pack would be lounging with their pups. Probably watching tv or playing some pool. But once he arrived he noticed most of them were helping out in the kitchen, preparing the food for the party, and there was one person who stood out like a sore thumb. Talking to Marc, or Demarco as he was officially called, while he was watching over the pups.

A few years had gone by since he’d last seen him, the young carefree look had left his eyes and had been replaced by a much calmer and beaten down spark. He looked tired and broken as if he’d battled his monsters ten times over and lost every single time. His blond hair was quite a bit shorter than it had been four years ago and he was still incapable of growing anything resembling a stubble but he recognized those blue silver eyes anywhere. And he was sure of who he was seeing right now.

“Chris?” He whispered.

Chris looked at him in shock as if he too was catching up on who he was seeing. “Noah?”

Chris's eyes flashed a bright Beta blue. It shouldn’t have surprised him whatsoever considering who Chris was and what he’d been through in life but it still shocked him to see the color. A Beta wolf’s eye color only changed from Gold to Blue if they’d been through one or several incredible traumatic events. Chris, he could have gone through such a life-altering event at any point in his life. Maybe even multiple. It still shook him to his very core to such an unusual eye color in the newly turned hunter.

“I’m so happy to see you, I didn’t even think-” Chris closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. It was unusual for the hunter to show such affection, but not an unwelcome one per se. “-It would be you.”

He returned the hug and took a step back. “By Anu Chris, what happened to you?”

Chris gave him a pained smile and sighed. “It’s a long story and I don’t know if we have the time before the ceremony.”

He quickly checked his golden watch and sighed. “We don’t. But you can explain it to me and especially Peter after.”

Chris hesitated at those words, frowning as he looked down at his hands. He noted a golden wedding ring still on his left ring finger. “Peter’s going to be here?”

So Chris had gotten married… the question remained, had it been voluntary? “Of course, what did you expect?”

Chris sighed, running a hand through his hair as he slowly nodded. “Guess I have a lot to explain.”

“That’s an understatement…”

-

The moment Peter arrived at the train yard, Noah walked up to his car. He got out of his, a brand new Ford Mustang modified for speed and handling, helping Malia out of her car seat before he approached the druid. “Someone’s excited for today.”

The druid didn’t seem to be in the mood to spar with him, judging by the worried look he received in return. “Peter, I need to talk to you.”

He didn’t like the tone of Noah’s voice, frowning at the way Noah fidgeted and carried himself. It was very unlike the druid and deputy to act this nervous. He shifted Malia on his hip. “What’s up honey bun? What got you all riled up?”

“It’s about the ceremony,”

He groaned at those words and whined. He didn’t want to be scolded again. “Not you too.”

Noah stared at him as if he’d grown another head, nervousness mostly replaced by annoyance. “No you idiot, it’s Chris. Chris is joining.”

His thought process just completely stopped at those words and he couldn’t stop the belting laugh that escaped him. That was fucking rich, wasn’t it?! It was so absurd that he simply couldn’t comprehend it. Until he realized, due to Noah’s unimpressed look at his laughter, that this wasn’t a fucking joke. And the druid was absolutely serious about this. 

“You’re not joking…”

“Why the fuck would I be?”

He had a point but he couldn’t believe it. The hunter had disappeared on them years ago and now suddenly he popped back up as a werewolf? The very idea was an absurd one, even for their supernatural lives. “Fucking hell…”

He felt panic rising in his chest, gripping him like a vice as he tried to keep himself and Malia upright. Thankfully, Noah seemed to have noticed his dilemma for the druid guided him to the nearby steps and made sure he was sitting down.

How on Earth had Chris been turned? What had happened to him? Was it consensual or was it forced? Which Alpha had turned him? It wasn’t Talia and it couldn’t have been Deuc, Deuc would have told him and the family.

The fact that none of them had told him said enough. They hadn’t known either.

So the only other option was Satomi. He knew for a fact that she didn’t turn anyone in at least a decade. So why had she turned Chris?

Malia fussed a little in his arms, he shifted her to his other hip and slowly looked up at the druid. “And he didn’t even call me…” 

He had meant to come across as teasing or bashful, but his voice broke mid-sentence and he couldn’t stop tears from falling down his cheeks.

It was too surreal, too incomprehensible that it was Chris, CHRIS of all people, that had been turned. 

And the one question that burned in the back of his mind; Why hadn’t Chris tried to contact him? Was it for the same reasons that he’d left? Had he done something else?

Noah clearly took pity on him, placing a hand on his shoulder in comfort. “For what it’s worth, I think he wanted to. Just didn’t know how.”

He chuckled darkly. “He didn’t know how to pick up a phone?”

The druid sighed and squeezed his shoulder. “You know what I mean.”

He did, kind of. He just didn’t want to acknowledge it. They sat side by side in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts.

Nathaniel was the one that came looking for them. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been sitting on the steps but it must have been quite a while. He was actually kinda grateful that his family had sent his brother instead of his sisters, must have been dad’s doing. 

His brother was taller than he was and broader in the shoulders, with short brown spiked hair and dark eyes and a neatly trimmed beard covering his jaw and upper lip. He was wearing his best Sunday clothes like the rest of them, he was still a part of the pack even if he wasn’t a shifter.

“Everyone’s waiting for you two.” Nathaniel held out a hand for him to take and helped him up to his feet. And although his brother was a gigantic dick most of the time, as most siblings were, he actually seemed worried about him and compassionate. “You okay, Petey?”

He slowly nodded, resting his forehead against his brother’s for a moment. “Yeah, yeah I will be.” 

Nathaniel was the first to draw back, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead before ruffling his hair in affection. “I’ll be right here, promise.”

  
He shifted Malia in his arms, nuzzling her temple for a minute before he followed Nathaniel and Noah inside, keeping himself between his best friend and his brother for emotional support. The moment he picked up Chris’s scent; gunpowder, Wolfsbane, metal, but also the smell of coffee, cinnamon, and the faint trace of those orange flavored sweets that Chris liked so much, he stopped and had to brace himself for a second.

Strengthened by Nathaniel’s and Noah’s presence, he walked on into the courtyard where the ceremony was taking place, past Merlia and his father, and took a stand next to Deucalion and Talia. Derek, Laura, and Cora stood by his sister’s side.

Noah left him by Nathaniel’s side, walking on to the front of the courtyard where a platform had been build for the ceremony. The arriving packs on one side, the Satomi pack on the other. On the platform, Satomi and Chris had taken their positions as well.

One look around the room told him that at the very least, he wasn’t the only one surprised by the turn of events. Merlia was looking down at her feet and biting her lip in confusion, dad was staring up at Chris with such compassion and worry that it was incredibly hard to witness, he supposed that in a way the man was seeing the ghost of a son he’d lost. Nathaniel was frowning at the former hunter but not out of anger, likely stemming from worry and compassion as well. And Talia- well, there was certain anger and darkness in her eyes that worried him. As much as Chris had hurt him, he didn’t want to see him hurt in return. He noticed Alan and Marin had joined their side of the courtyard, likely here to supervise Noah during the ceremony since it would be his first since becoming the Satomi pack Emissary.

Satomi gestured for Chris to step into the Celtic five knot that had been drawn on the platform with a special healing mistletoe paste and stepped back with a smile and a curt nod. Noah stepped forward, balancing several little ceramic bowls with ingredients on his arms. He set them down on the platform in a circle surrounding the knot symbol.

“If it pleases the gods, by the blessing of Anu, we welcome in our community today Christopher Lucien Argent and his two children, Celestine Allison and Jonathan Jackson. May Anu bless their lives and their place amongst the packs. May their souls and destinies intertwine with our own and may our community be blessed by their rite of passage.” 

He froze at the mention of Chris’s children, gaze drifting to the side of the platform were two tiny forms stood together. Chris had kids? It shouldn’t shock him that much, considering he now had a child of his own. But somehow it stung far more fierce than he’d expected. So that was what heartbreak felt like…

Noah lifted the ceramic bowl filled with dirt, drawing Celtic symbols of Earth and stability on Chris’s bare waist and his wrists. “Let there be peace in the North, so let it be.”

He then took a bowl filled with a blue paste and drew the Celtic symbols of Water and adaptability on his abdomen and in the crook of his elbows. “Let there be peace in the West, so let it be.”

Next, a bowl filled with a gray paste was picked up and Noah drew the Celtic symbols of Air and life on Chris’s midriff and upper arms. “Let there be peace in the East, so let it be.”

As last he lifted a bowl filled with charcoal made of apple tree wood and drew the Celtic symbols of fire and rebirth on Chris’s pectorals and shoulders. Completing the sacred four rites of peace. “Let there be peace in the South, so let it be.”

The druid then took a step back and lifted some incense from the last bowl. He lit two sticks and beckoned for the two children, handing one to each of them. “Let there be peace through all the Worlds. So let it be.”

“Let there be peace. So let it be.” He could barely get the words out along with the other gathered wolves but somehow, he managed. His stomach was doing flips and cramping something fierce. But to walk away was a great insult to all involved. Including his own pack. He didn’t have a choice. He had to fight through.

Noah then picked the bowl of Applewood charcoal up once more, eyes glowing a soft purple as he called upon his powers and looked up. “By the blessings of Anu, if it may please the gods. I ask for their purpose, their place among us. May it be blessed, may it be peaceful.”

The druid coated his right ring finger in the charcoal, keeping his connection to the mystical powers as he drew the symbol of the guardian on Chris’s forehead. A rare symbol among their kind, one that was considered the highest blessing along with the healer, the leader, the scholar, or the moon.

The courtyard went silent for a moment as the symbol glowed bright blue, Chris’s eyes shifting to the same color for a moment before they returned to his usual silver blue.

“Anu has blessed him,” Marin whispered to her brother, sharing a look with Alan that didn’t escape his notice before both focused back on Noah.

The young druid was a bit shaken up himself but he recovered quickly, letting Anu guide him further into the ceremony. “Blessed be the guardian, he who protects and nurtures.”

The druid then turned to little Allison, letting Anu guide him into drawing the symbol of the leader onto her forehead with the charcoal. “Blessed be the leader, she who guides our path and lights our way.”

A chorus of murmurs went through the crowd. Having one rare symbol show was already a bit of an oddity, having two, well, that had never occurred before. The symbol on Allison’s forehead glowed Orange as Anu blessed it as well.

Noah almost seemed to hesitate as he turned to Jackson but Anu kept guiding him and so the druid pressed on. Jackson received the symbol of the healer and there were a few in the crowd who started shifting on their feet. Even Alan and Marin seemed unsure for a minute. Yet Noah continued. “Blessed be the healer, who heals his pack and brings unity.”

Jackson’s symbol glowed a bright green and for a moment everything froze. Noah put the bowl back down slowly and gathered a branch of herbs that he slowly lit on fire and placed in a special bowl in Satomi’s hands.

“To the spirits and elements of creation, to our blessed mother and goddess Anu, we give our humble thanks and gratitude for blessing our newest members. May their days among the pack and our community be bountiful and filled with peace. We thank you for your service and this blessed day. We bid you hail and farewell.”

A chant of; “May our days be blessed, hail and farewell.” Went through the crowd. 

Noah put the smoldering bowl of herbs away on a stand, receiving a nod from Satomi in thanks. He then stepped back, allowing Satomi to be the first to welcome Chris into her pack.

He couldn’t watch it anymore and thankfully, with the ceremony over, he was free to walk away. He dropped Malia off with the other children and her cousins so she could play, knowing she’d be safe there and walked off to clear his head for a moment.

-

After the ceremony, he was given a moment to clean himself and the twins. He used that moment to also calm his emotions, compartmentalize them, and process. He’d seen Peter in the crowd. Peter who’d been carrying a little girl of two years old. He’d been carrying his daughter. That meant Peter had moved on.

He couldn’t exactly blame him for that, as much as it hurt. After all, he’d been the one that had left abruptly without saying goodbye. It would only be natural for Peter to move on after that. But goddammit if it didn’t sting.

He let out a slow breath, making sure to dress himself and the twins in some fresh clothes. For himself, that meant a dark blue button-down shirt with a fresh pair of jeans paired with brown worker boots. For the twins it meant he dressed them both in denim overalls with sneakers, red for Allison, black for Jackson, and a corresponding t-shirt in the same color as their shoes.

Allison immediately sought out the group of other children after they walked into the common room, eager to introduce herself to the new children and find someone to play with. She quickly found two new friends in the two new little girls. Peter’s daughter and what he assumed to be Talia’s youngest child.

Speaking of Talia…

“I should tear you a new one after everything you’ve pulled. But I suspect there’s more to this than meets the eye.” There was a danger to her tone and he instinctively flinched back. 

“I didn’t want to leave. I fought tooth and nail against it.” 

Talia merely raised an eyebrow at his words. 

“My father didn’t leave me any choice. I remember going to sleep and waking up in a car somewhere in Nevada. I- If I could have, I would’ve escaped.” He wasn’t sure if she’d believe him but that was what he’d remembered. He’d been cuffed to the backseat of his father’s car and wasn’t uncuffed until they stopped at a safe house near Carson City. By then it had been too late to get away.

Talia’s gaze burned straight through him and made him fidget on his feet. “Considering Gerard and what he is capable of, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. But ultimately, it’s up to Peter to decide if he forgives you. If he’s ready to welcome you back, I will open my door to you.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Did he want to know the answer? 

“You better stay far away from my pack or face the consequences.”

He nodded in understanding, though he couldn’t suppress the shiver that went down his spine at those words. He knew what Talia was capable of, even if she was known as a benevolent Alpha it was better not to try and cross her if he could help it. “Noted.”

“Sweetheart, I know you want to murder him right now but I need to hold my son for a few moments.” John intervened between the two of them and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug.

He didn’t understand, honestly. But he also wasn’t going to complain too much. Instead, he wrapped his arms around John in return. 

Did John just-? Tears prickled in his eyes as he held John. The elderly wolf couldn’t be this forgiving. After everything that he’d done. Everything his father had done… 

“Shhh, son. It’s alright.” He felt John’s breath in his neck, could smell his scent of pine-like the forest he loved to walk in, lemon from the lemon candies he loved to eat, and thyme from the garden he kept behind their house.

“Why? How?” He choked out, burying his nose into John’s neck.

“Because you’re my son, regardless of what happened between you and Peter. Or what’s going to happen between you two. Nothing’s going to change that, my boy.” The elderly Hale stepped back and ruffled his hair, then smiled down at little Jackson who was hiding behind his legs.

“And who’s this strapping young lad?” John kneeled and smiled at the tiny three-year-old.

He carefully guided Jackson to his front, right before John, and laid his hands down on the toddler’s shoulders. “This is my son, Jackson.”

John looked up at him, a knowing twinkle in those blue eyes of his. “I see, so this is my second grandson?”

“He is.” It honestly made his heart sing to hear those words. How Jackson would take them, worried him.

Jackson whimpered at hearing the word and pressed back against him. “Are you going to kill us too?”

Not very well. As expected.

John, for his part, looked crestfallen. “Why on earth would I do that, my boy?”

Jackson looked down at his feet and shrugged. “Because grandpa tried to.”

A dark shadow passed over John’s face. He managed to keep himself calm by taking a deep breath and made sure to soften his energy for the toddler. “No, my sweet boy. I promise you that I will never, ever harm you or let anyone else harm you or your sister. I will prove that to you.”

He gave Jackson a warm, sad smile. Which Jackson actually returned. “Okay.”

The elderly wolf then turned his gaze to him and raised an eyebrow. He knew what was being asked and he nodded curtly to confirm Jackson’s statement. 

John turned to Talia, who’s eyes were glowing red at Jackson’s admission. They shared a look that told him his father would be utterly obliterated should these two ever get their hands on him. Good. The bastard earned it.

“You and your daddy never have to worry about that again.”

Jackson nodded at John’s words, still hiding himself a little but curiosity also seemed to win out. “Okay.”

He noticed Noah coming up on his right, the druid held back a little when he noticed John and Talia. Though the latter beckoned him closer once she noticed him.

“I’d like to borrow him for a moment or two.”

Jackson slowly untangled himself from his leg, going with John to the other children, though he did check back to see if Chris was still watching him. 

John would take good care of him and Allison for the time being, he had complete faith in that.

Noah walked him down the hall to one of the smaller living rooms. The moment he stepped into the room he knew why he was there. He felt his stomach drop as Peter slowly rose from the armchair he’d been sitting in. There were unshed tears in the other wolf’s red-rimmed eyes that spoke volumes about how he was feeling.

“I never thought I’d see you again.” Peter’s voice trembled as he spoke. It felt like a stab to his heart but he earned it. He’d left and he had to pick up the pieces he’d left behind.

“I hoped I would,” Peter whispered, “But I didn’t dare to dream.” He stepped closer, stopping just a few feet from him.

A few tears rolled down Peter’s cheek, his breath coming out in broken huffs. “Why? Just tell me why, Chris.”

No matter what his reason was, seeing Peter broken like that made him realize that nothing he could say was good enough of a reason. Nothing could justify breaking the man he loved like that. “I’m sorry… Fuck Peter, I’m so sorry. I-” He took a deep breath “-I never wanted to leave. Dad found out I was pregnant and he- God he just drugged me and drove me to Nevada.”

Noah and Peter both froze at his words.

“What?” Peter stared at him as if he’d just been stabbed in the heart.

He couldn’t. Couldn’t do this. Couldn’t say the words. His body shook and his eyes closed for a moment. 

“They’re yours. Allison and Jackson are yours. I was pregnant when dad took me.” He forced himself to say it, to spit it out.

It took its toll.

Peter collapsed at his words, staring blankly ahead as everything registered. “I’m- they’re mine?”

The hopeful look in Peter’s eyes almost killed him and he found he couldn’t physically say it. But he could nod.

A soft laugh bubbled up in Peter’s chest, softly ringing through the room as the Alpha shook his head and forced himself back into the chair where he sat down. “That’s- Fucking hell, Chris.”

“Dear Anu, I thought I had issues,” Noah muttered, running a hand through his blond hair as he watched their drama unfold. 

“I just- I want you to know that I understand.” He couldn’t comprehend that after everything, Peter had moved on. 

“Understand what?” Peter clearly didn’t follow his line of thought.

“That you found another Omega-”

At Peter’s look of confusion, he elaborated. “Your daughter…”

Peter smiled and shook his head, closing the distance between them. “You beautiful idiot,” The Alpha’s hands cupped his cheeks, “she’s the result of an affair. Her mother and I were never together like that, it was just sex.”

Of all the things he’d imagined, he’d never in his wildest dream expected this one to be true. “Oh.”

Peter grinned in return. “Oh indeed.”

“And those two are-”

It was his turn to smile and nod. “Yours. One hundred percent.”

He’d almost forgotten Noah was in the room with them when the druid entered his field of vision on his right and walked up to stand behind Peter. “So how did you end up here? With Satomi?”

Peter cocked his head at the question, staring into Chris’s eyes so intensely that he had to close his own. 

“Because Gerard tried to kill me and the twins.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this, let me know if you did. If you have any questions, write them down in the comments and if you have any theories, write them down too.
> 
> Comments fuel updates! <3
> 
> Love you guys!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you're still with me after all of this. This is my Nanowrimo project for November. If I finish this early I will move back to Once upon a time and its universe to finish that.
> 
> Let me know what you think! Comments fuel me and make me finish stories sooner! <3


End file.
